Jade felt conflicted about whether to be happy or sad. Though it was praise.

“Even if we’re going to be family, I don’t like being treated like a father.”

“I’m sorry……”

Rosana hung her head, embarrassed at revealing her inner thoughts. Jade shrugged his shoulders.

“I’ll let it slide since it’s a good impression. However, from now on I’d prefer you see me as a husband rather than a father.”

“A husband?”

Jade, with mischief in his eyes, approached Rosana. Then, lightly grasping her hand, he interlaced his fingers between hers.

“There are still many servants who doubt our relationship. Isn’t this because we lack physical contact? Hmm?”

“That’s……”

“Thinking of the future, shouldn’t we get used to it? Actually, I’m thinking of having you debut in high society before the wedding. We’ll have to show off to those noble bastards then, won’t we?”

He wanted to give Rosana, who’d said she wanted to be the protagonist, a wedding blessed by everyone. To do that, he first needed to change the nobles’ perception. He wanted to fulfill that desire.

Rosana fidgeted with her fingers. Though she clearly wanted to pull away, he didn’t let go. Seeing her glance up to gauge his reaction made him want to tease her a bit more.

“We should get used to physical contact, right?”

Jade bent down and placed a small kiss on Rosana’s cheek. Her body stiffened. He smiled with satisfaction. Rosana blushed, thinking of his lips that had briefly touched and parted. She muttered in a voice barely above a whisper.

“I-I’ll try to get used to it.”

At the satisfactory answer, Jade released her hand. Rosana clenched her fist, steeling her resolve. She knew she needed to show a good image considering how people around them perceived them.

“We’re getting married soon, so it wouldn’t do to be awkward.”

Jade had shown his intention to advance their relationship. She’d learned that affection was something exchanged between two people.

Jade straightened his posture. Having satisfied his desire, it was time to leave. He also had matters to settle. He needed to expel the maid who’d tried to deceive Rosana and make her safe as soon as possible. Rosana stood up following Jade. He thought she was seeing him off.

“You don’t need to stand……”

Jade couldn’t finish his sentence. Rosana had pressed close enough that not even a fist could fit between them. Jade stood rigid, his body stiffening. 

Rosana carefully rose on her tiptoes. Her lips couldn’t quite reach Jade’s cheek and awkwardly landed near the corner of his mouth, on his jaw.

Smooch—

With a moist sound, Jade’s eyes widened. It was a light peck like the one Jade had given Rosana. However, there was a huge gap between doing it himself and having someone do it to him.

“Thank you. Being able to change like this is all thanks to you, Jade.”

Jade’s eyes trembled slightly. Then soon his eyes blazed, seemingly dominated by passion. After catching his breath and calming down, he spoke.

“It’s what you accomplished.”

At the low tone like scraping metal, Rosana tilted her head. Jade pushed Rosana away, stepping back. He crossed his arms. His arms seemed ready to reach out to her at any moment. 

Not understanding, Rosana asked innocently.

“Did you dislike it?”

“It’s not that……!”

Jade, forcefully suppressing his rising voice, glanced at Rosana.

“You did it first, so I thought it was okay. You said you wanted physical contact…… Mmph!”

“Stop, stop talking.”

Jade covered Rosana’s lips with his hand. At his growling tone, Rosana blinked slowly and nodded. He forcibly tore his gaze away from Rosana’s red lips where it naturally drifted.

‘I’m going crazy.’ 

He roughly swept back his hair.

“No, it’s my fault. I was the one who did it first.”

But he’d never dreamed she’d boldly respond in kind. He’d thought blushing would be the extent of it. Thanks to that, his heart pounded loudly enough to be annoying.

Rosana pondered what had gone wrong. She’d thought they were practicing to show the alliance between empires was unshakeable. They needed to become accustomed to it to act naturally in front of others.

Jade, suddenly exhausted, sighed. Sometimes she was so profound and inscrutable that he couldn’t read her, while other times she had innocent and pure corners like a child.

“She’s a little chick, so I should understand.”

Her blonde hair often reminded him of a small yellow chick. Jade smiled slightly, imagining a small chick following behind.

“Actions like just now are dangerous with someone like me. Be careful.”

“Why?”

Jade’s eyebrow twitched. If she asked why, he had nothing to say. It was too embarrassing to explain. When Rosana kissed his jaw, the thought that suddenly occurred was enough to give him a sense of crisis.

“……Just know that. Of course, the same goes for other men.”

“There’s no one else besides Your Majesty.”

“Naturally. If such a thing happened, I’d have to tear that bastard apart.”

Jade, speaking through gritted teeth, narrowed his brow. Just thinking of Rosana kissing another man’s cheek made fury boil up.

“Ahem, I’ll be going now.”

Jade turned like someone being chased. He clenched his hands tightly to avoid revealing emotions he couldn’t hide.

In Rosana’s eyes, his brightly flushed earlobes were clearly visible. Looking at the reddened earlobes, she tilted her head, then wondered if they’d turned red because of her actions just now. Her face seemed to flush in turn. 

Rosana fanned herself with her hand.

When Jade emerged, Yuna politely greeted him before entering Rosana’s room. Then he heard Yuna worrying whether Rosana had caught a cold, seeing her flushed face.

Jade hurriedly moved away from near the door. Passing servants saw Jade’s reddened expression and hastily bowed their heads. 

After walking for a while, Jade stood dazed, placing his hand on his waist and sharply bowing his head.

“Ha, I’m going crazy.”

The pounding of his heart endlessly grated on him. He knew well about this symptom. He remembered hearing about it, reading about it. 

Jade shook his head and walked again. He headed straight to his office. He even ignored Malek’s reproachful words asking where he’d suddenly gone.

Upon reaching his office, he slumped into his chair like someone drained of energy. Soon he picked up a book. He moved the book back and forth with his finger.

<How to Capture a Woman’s Heart>

Jade had already made mistakes with Rosana several times. It was a book he’d read with the mindset that he shouldn’t make any more mistakes. Be considerate, be kind, give lots of compliments. And so on. It had helped a lot.

However, thinking carefully, most of his actions weren’t to avoid making mistakes with Rosana, but because he wanted to have her heart.

“I deviated from the original purpose.”

The book’s first page started with the question: You who have opened this book, are you in love? 

At first, he’d immediately turned to the next page. However, now it was hard to ignore.

“If you think of them for no reason, feel anxious when they’re not in front of you, are indifferent to others’ actions but find one particular person cute or pretty, that means you’re in love.”

Jade held his head. The content was exactly him. At all hours he wondered what she did today, whether she was doing well. When he heard an incident occurred, he worried whether she was suffering alone. He soon banged his head on the desk.

“I was the fool all along.”

When Malek asked if he liked her, he assumed it was purely professional.

She was someone who had to lead the empire of Diovaha together with him. She hadn’t run away even after seeing his true form.

“Those guys will be happy to have something to tease me about.”

Hearing rumors that their relationship had improved, the knights had all asked without exception. However, he’d firmly denied it, saying it wasn’t like that. 

Yet now he had to take it back. Now that he’d realized his feelings, he didn’t know how to treat her anymore. He felt foolish for not noticing. When he attached the name “love” to the emotions he’d been whispering about, a smile bloomed on his lips.

Malek opened the office door and entered. It was to process the documents that had piled up due to Jade’s sudden disappearance.

“Good timing.”

Seeing Malek, Jade welcomed him. Malek’s brow narrowed. It was rare for him to welcome someone carrying documents. After a brief pause, Jade spoke.

“I thought I wanted to kiss her.”

Malek stopped in place.

“What?”

For a moment Malek wondered if he’d misheard and asked again. Where did the introduction, development, turn, and conclusion go—suddenly talking about kissing. His flustered state was evident.

“Just now…… what did you say?”

“Do I need to say it from my mouth again?”

“N-no. No.”

Though dumbfounded, he composed his expression with a cough. Kissing…… Jade had expressed his feelings nakedly.

“Naturally the other person is……”

“Rosana. Who else would there be?”

“Yes……”

Malek knew Jade had gone to meet Rosana. It wasn’t even surprising. Though Jade was now floundering after just realizing his feelings, Malek believed it was only a matter of sooner or later before he’d know.

‘Well, of course……’

Malek’s hands holding the documents trembled finely. What caused the dark shadows under his eyes?

“How does my attitude toward Rosana look? Tell me as specifically and in as much detail as possible.”

Malek’s eyes flashed. Thinking this was his chance, Malek spoke in great detail about everything that had happened, following Jade’s request.

“Ahem. First, greeting her every morning is basic. Then every word you speak is full of praise, like you’ve coated your mouth with honey. What about frequently bringing gifts? If you can’t go, you send a servant with a letter saying you’re sorry you couldn’t come because you were doing something, writing at length. The reason you couldn’t go is because work piled up, yet you spend time writing letters.”

He spoke calmly, listing point by point. It was proof he’d accumulated a lot. Though smiling, he looked dangerous. Even Jade flinched.

“D-did I do that?”

“Yes. Even while working after breakfast, don’t you ask what Lady Rosana is doing, where she’s going?”

“……”

The target of his questions was Malek. He was on the verge of neurosis. Malek pointed to the notebook on Jade’s desk as his finishing blow.

“Your Majesty, open the notebook. Didn’t you write down what Lady Rosana likes and which gifts got the best response?”

Then Jade awkwardly pushed the notebook down.

“This is necessary to maintain a smooth relationship……”

“Ask anyone. Who they’d do such actions for. Do you need my opinion? Haven’t you already confirmed it?”

Jade traced the book’s title with his finger. Then he rolled that word around in his mouth.

“Love……”

He’d thought it was an emotion he could never have. A monster, someone who didn’t know when he might become a Monster—he thought he had neither the right to give nor receive it.

Whenever he faced a life-threatening crisis, the Monster’s blood boiled. 

When young, the Monster’s blood boiled for no reason. Though he had a human form now, no one knew when he might transform into a Monster or harm someone nearby.

Seeing Jade’s darkened expression, Malek said.

“Your Majesty, don’t fear the future too much. It’s not like you.”

“……You figured it out.”

Jade let out a small sigh.

“Remember what you always said when I asked if you were interested in women.”

“Right. It was a lie.”

A gentle breeze entered through the office window, tousling his hair. Between his bangs, the corners of his eyes holding golden pupils curved beautifully.